Bedbug Myths and Facts

Bed bugs are not necessarily attracted to dirty home, but they are fond of MESSY homes. The more clutter on the ground, the better they can hide during the daylight hours. Bed bugs need to be close to their hosts so they can easily make the trip to feed during the night. Clutter on the floor provides exactly this.  If you have a messy room it is strongly advised that you clean it up, whether it is to prevent an infestation or to gain control of one.

This is a commonly misunderstood fact about bed bugs.  They prefer to feed on sleeping hosts; however, if this is not possible (perhaps they are located in a room far away from your bedroom) then they will feed during the day on awake hosts.  It is possible to be bitten while sitting on the couch watching TV or working on the computer.  Keeping a tidy home as outlined above is very important.  For more information regarding bed bugs outside of the bedroom click here.

Bed bugs only feed on  sleeping victims

I should try to poison bed bugs before I call a pest management professional

Nimby Pest Management strongly advises against treating a bed bug infestation on your own.  We make this recommendation based on the numerous cases we have seen where clients have attempted to control their bed bug infestation and only made it much worse. First, using pesticides can be dangerous to you, your family, and pets if not done properly. Second, eliminating bed bugs from a home is something best handled by a VERY experienced professional. If treatments are conducted improperly the infestation can spread throughout your home, making it orders of magnitude more difficult to control the bed bug infestation.  If you call a professional pest management service with extensive bed bug experience you should be bed bug free within 2 - 4 weeks, depending on the previous duration of the infestation.

What do bed bugs look like?

Bedbugs are extremely hard to see.  The largest they ever get are about the size of an apple seed. The younger bed bugs almost too small to see without a magnifying glass.  Bed bugs are very flat.  It is hard to understand what this means, but they can slip through cracks than only paper could fit through. This allows them to hide just about anywhere that has the slightest cracks.  The image on the right is an example of an adult bed bug.

What are the signs of a bed bug infestation?

Bed bugs are difficult to see as they are fast, small, and normally only come out when you are sleeping.  So besides the bite marks on your body, how else can you determine whether you have bed bugs?  Bed bugs leave some characteristic trails behind them.  First, it is best to look at your mattress and box spring seams, headboard, and nearby furniture and baseboards.  You might catch a glance at them, but more than likely you will only see their fecal spots.  Also, you may notice blood spots on sheets in the bed when you scratched or rolled over on them during the night.

Could the bite marks on my body be something other than bed bugs?

Unfortunately, since bed bug bites can be different for everyone, it is sometimes hard to diagnose whether they are truly bed bug bites or if they are something else entirely.  Other things include scabies, bat bugs, bird bugs, and rat bugs.  A doctor can be helpful in determining the cause of your bites; however, many medical professionals have never seen real life bed bug bites so misdiagnosis are possible.  If you are unable to find any signs of bed bugs in your home, we suggest going to a doctor and taking a test for scabies.  If scabies come back negative then it might be one of the other options and a pest control expert would be highly recommended.

What are some bed bug pest control measures?

A very helpful technique for controlling bed bugs while treatments are underway is to isolate your bed from the room.  At first this sounds impossible, but it's all about making your bed an island.  To prevent bed bugs from reaching you while you sleep it has to be impossible for them to crawl into bed with you.  First, you have to be certain they are not living in your mattress, box spring, or bed frame. If you are certain of this, you can take 4 aluminum cans and fill them part way with cooking oil (eg. olive oil or vegetable oil or any equivalent substitute). Next, be sure your sheets do not make contact with the floor or the aluminum cans.  Finally, make sure your bed is a few inches from any wall.  Now your bed is an island! If any bed bugs try to climb up the legs of your bed frame they will get stuck in the oil.  This will not eliminate bed bugs on its own though as bed bugs can enter a dormant state for many months or feed on you during the day in other rooms in the house. However, this is extremely effective for preventing bed bugs from reaching you while proper pest control measures are taking place.

Where do bed bugs come from?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions that customers ask us when we treat their homes for bed bugs.  We have dedicated a whole page to this topic, which you can find here.

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